There are numerous types of apparatuses and devices configured to help individuals exercise and maintain a desired level of health and fitness. Such apparatuses include, for example, treadmills, elliptical exercise machines, stationary bicycles, stair climbers (or steppers), and various types of strength training equipment. These types of exercise equipment, and others, are commonly found in health clubs, gyms and even in individuals' homes. One issue often considered in designing and manufacturing exercise equipment is providing the user with a challenging and effective workout in an ergonomic manner. It is also important to design exercise equipment that maintains structural stability while reducing, if not eliminating, the potential for injury to a user thereof.
One popular type of exercise equipment includes what is known as a treadmill. Treadmills conventionally include a continuous or circuitous belt positioned about one or more rollers and over a deck (sometimes also referred to as a platform or a base). One of the rollers is often driven to motivate the belt in a circuitous fashion while a user walks, jogs or runs on the belt, their feet typically landing on the belt at a location that is supported by the deck. The deck is conventionally rigid so as to support a user and withstand the pounding action imposed by an individual during use of the equipment. However, the rigid nature of the supporting deck can also impose a substantial impact on a user's body each time their foot lands on the belt and underlying deck. In some circumstances, such impact can lead to discomfort, pain and even injury to the user of the exercise equipment.
In short, certain types of exercise, whether such exercise is performed using an exercise device (such as with a treadmill) or without any substantial device or aid (such as jogging or running on asphalt or cement), particularly when the exercise involves a repetitive pounding or jarring motion, may eventually result in some type of pain or injury to the individual. Often, such pain or injuries are associated with the joints or tendons of the person exercising, but other types of pain or injury may also occur depending on specific circumstances.
In order to reduce the potential of such pain and injuries, various types of exercise equipment are constructed in an effort to reduce the amount of impact experienced by a user's body when they are using the equipment. Considering treadmills as an example, such are often designed and manufactured in an attempt to cushion or absorb impact that is imposed to the equipment by a user and, therefore, allow the user to experience less impact on their body during exercise.
Still considering treadmills as an example, various arrangements have been proposed to provide a resilient or cushioning effect for the treadmill user. One such design includes that which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,8271,155, issued to Jensen et al. (hereinafter the “Jensen” patent) and assigned to the assignee hereof, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The Jensen patent describes the use of various types of “cushioning” or “shock absorbing” arrangements including the use of adjustable spring structures coupled to what is sometimes referred to as the “free end” (i.e., the rearward end during intended use) of the deck. The spring members are described as being longitudinally adjustable so as to adjust the level of resiliency provided thereby.
Various other types of arrangements have also been proposed to provide a level or cushioning or shock absorbing in treadmills or other types of exercise equipment including coating e surface of the deck with a resilient or cushioned coating or by providing “deckless” treadmills wherein the continuous belt is supported in a substantially trampoline-like manner.
However, even with all of the proposed prior art solutions, it is an ongoing desire of the exercise industry to provide more effective and more efficient means of cushioning and absorbing shock or impact forces experienced by a user of exercise equipment. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a relatively simple, rugged and reliable structure for cushioning or absorbing impact forces imposed on a user of exercise equipment without adding significant cost, complexity or weight to the apparatus.